Serial airlock architecture
AssigneeHyperloop Technologies, Inc.
InventorsChiranjeev Kalra, Josh Giegel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An airlock system that includes a plurality of adjacent chambers successively arranged along a guide path. Predetermined pressures are produced in each chamber so that the predetermined pressure in each chamber is at a pressure different from the predetermined pressure produced in an adjacent chamber. Gate valves are positioned to separate adjacent chambers in order to maintain a pressure differential between the adjacent chambers.
Claims19
An airlock system forming a passage between a first region having a first pressure and a second region having a second pressure, which is different from the first pressure, the airlock system comprising:
- a plurality of adjacent chambers successively arranged along a guide path, wherein predetermined pressures are produced in each chamber so that the predetermined pressure in each chamber is at a pressure different from the predetermined pressure produced in an adjacent chamber;
- and
- gate valves positioned to separate adjacent chambers in order to maintain a pressure differential between the adjacent chambers,
- wherein, via the predetermined pressures in the successively arranged plurality of adjacent chambers, pressure incrementally transitions from at least one of the first pressure to the second pressure or the second pressure to the first pressure.
The method for isolating a first region maintained at a first environment and a second region maintained at a second environment, wherein the first and second environments are different from each other, comprising:
- forming an airlock between the first region and the second region, wherein the airlock comprises a plurality of chambers, which are separated by gate valves, successively arranged along a guide path;
- and
- maintaining each of the plurality of chambers at an environment different from an environment in an adjacent chamber, wherein the first region is maintained at a pressure higher than that of the second region, and the plurality of chambers are pressurized at predetermined pressures that progressively decrease from a first chamber adjacent the first region to a last chamber adjacent the second region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.